Traditional Chinese
gardens go back almost 2,000 years to the Han Dynasty though
most Scholar's Gardens date back to the more recent Ming
and Qing dynasties.
A Scholar's Garden
would have been built by a scholar or an administrator retiring
from the emperor's court. It would have been an enclosed
private garden always associated with a house which, in turn
without its garden, would not have been considered whole.
This garden, designed and built by LAC, is
enclosed by walls, a series of pavilions (eight in all), and
covered walkways. These are all organized in an irregular
manner to create in addition to the two major courtyards a series
of six others of varying sizes.
The art of the Chinese garden is closely related
to Chinese landscape painting - it is not a literal imitation
of a natural landscape, but the capturing of its essence
and spirit.
The parallel could be drawn to a Chinese hand
scroll painting which as it unrolls, reveals a journey full of
surprises and meditative pauses.
The enjoyment of the garden is both contemplative
and sensual. It comes from making the most out of the experiences
of everyday life, as such, architectural elements are always
a part of a Scholar's Garden.
The
painter's eye must be used to lay out the main architectural
elements - the wall becomes the paper the rockery and plant are
painted on. The structures playfully rise and fall, twist
and turn and even 
"leave" the garden to take advantage of
and even create a great variety of beautiful scenes.
To paraphrase the 15th century garden designer
Ji Ching:
